


to the farthest star

by havisham



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU
Genre: Gen, PIXIE BOOTED TRAGEDY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-15
Updated: 2012-02-15
Packaged: 2017-10-31 05:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havisham/pseuds/havisham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>'Proud and insolent youth,' said Hook, 'prepare to meet thy doom.' <br/>'Dark and sinister man,' Peter answered, 'have at thee.'</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	to the farthest star

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Runespoor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runespoor/gifts).



> DAMNIT, JASON PETER TODD. Based on that a softer world remix that I _cannot find right now_. And _out of nowhere_ Peter Pan feels.

**I.**

It was a slow moving disaster, the full effect of which wasn’t felt for years. Years of ignoring problems (warning signs), of pushing back doubts (regrets) and yes, mistakes. Many mistakes, but...

It was _his_ initial mistake.

If he was not aware of it all, if he was oblivious, there were still people who could (did) warn him.

Alfred’s silent _I told you_ so was easy to ignore. (But not to forget.)

Leslie, shoulders stooped in weariness, (those who defend Gotham did not always wear masks), told him, “The boy needs counseling, Bruce. _Lots_ of it.” She stared at him, hard. Batman didn’t (shouldn’t) let anyone intimidate him, not even ones that have known him for his entire life. And so Bruce squared his own shoulders, and stared back.

She continued, “Not crime-fighting.”

And he agreed _._ In theory.

In practice, it was different.

When Jason told him that he hadn’t push Garzonas, Bruce didn’t (couldn’t let himself) believe it.

But. He didn’t fire Robin. He told himself: _Batman needed a Robin._

(Bruce needed Jason.)

And he was fairly certain (it was fairly clear) that Jason needed someone.

(And it might as well be him.)

 

It was a disaster.

 

**II.**

Oh, he loved it. He would never tell anyone (ever, ever) this, but, yes, he _loved_ it. Not that anyone had to guess, it was obvious.

(Wasn’t it obvious?)

He wore that silly costume, he didn’t even complain about it, after the first few moments of complete, mind-numbing astonishment. _The last guy, what the fuck was he thinking..._

(But, really, he had the legs to pull it off.)

None of that mattered, Bruce knew it (he must have known it), it was what they did -- _that_ mattered. They could swing in, any time, and put a stop to injustice. They could rescue innocents (and yes, Gotham still had innocents, he thought ruefullly), and right wrongs.

They couldn’t do it all, it wasn’t possible, but...

Jason remembered his own powerlessness, before. Before Robin, before he had learned to how defend himself. (How to disappear.) He remembered it, perched over the city that was his (theirs) to protect. And falling on those _wrong-doing motherfuckers_ , yeah, his punches have more power for it.

A sigh. “Language, Robin.” And the grin Robin gave Batman was as affectionate as a bite.

And.

Considering who they were and what they did.  
.  
(Well. It was affectionate.)

Then he grew afraid that it would end, that Robin would be taken away from him, that it was already slipping from his grasp. Garzonas deserved to die, couldn’t Bruce see that? Sending that scum home wouldn’t do anything, that he’d just go using, and hurting. A different set of women, maybe. But. That shouldn’t matter.

(Should it?)

If Bruce couldn’t see it, well.

_Jason could._

 

**III.**

Sheila (his mother, _his mother_ ) was shaking her head. “It’s no good, kid.”

And he was slipping on his blood (oh God, that was _his_ blood), but he needed to do this. This was what heroes did. And he was a hero.

It didn’t matter what had happened, before.

(Or what would happen, after.)

He rasped out (his lungs had collapsed, he couldn’t breath), “I’ll save you, mom.”

Sheila only shook her head.

The countdown lapsed.

She died, resigned. He died terrified.

 

He died, knowing that Bruce _would_ come.


End file.
